James and His Pickup Lines
by just.a.blue.jay
Summary: We all know the story of Lily Evans and James Potter. She hated him, and he loved her. Watch her anger, and love for him grow through the years. Watch him win her heart. With bad pick-up lines.
1. Chapter 1

"Evans," the black haired boy whined, "Why won't you?"

"Because, Potter," the slender redhead snapped, "I _don't _like you!" And with that, she turned to walk away. But, before she could, she heard him scream "Ow!" She spun around quickly, and caught sight of him, his hand over his mouth.

"What's wrong, Potter? Cat's got your tongue, again?"

"No, Evans," James said softly, he looked down, not allowing Lily to look into his hazel eyes.

"Then what's wrong?" Lily tried very hard not to sound concerned, but of course, she couldn't help it. It was just part of her character.

"I bit my lip," James said, an expression of pain on his face. "What do you want me to do, then?" Lily said, her expression of concern fading, but not completely. She put her hands on her hips, and stepped closer to him.

"I bit my lip, can you kiss it and make it feel better?" James asked innocently. Lily chuckled, and took another step closer to him, smiling.

James beamed. He silently prayed that what he said would finally get her to go out with him, or better yet, kiss him. She started to walk towards him, smirking.

Once she was merely one foot away, she leaned towards him. James closed his eyes in anticipation. The two were currently in the Gryffindor common room, and almost everyone in the room was gawking at them, eyes widening.

Their lips were just inches away, when Lily giggled softly.

"Nice one, Potter," she whispered, making James look at her in surprise.

And with that, she turned, and walked towards the girls' dormitories.


	2. Chapter 2

"Come on, Evans," James pleaded. "Just one date."

"No, Potter," she spat at him. "I will _never _go out with you, a bullying, arrogant toerag!"

Yep, those words stung. But James tried to keep those feeling from revealing themselves on his face. Those hopes were in vain. They were shown broadly on his face. Traitors.

Lily was shocked. All these years, she believed James was asking her out just for 'the thrill of the chase.' But here he was, looking genuinely sad and disappointed. Because of her.

James managed to pull himself together quickly. He was suddenly very curious. "Lily?"

Lily froze in place. Did she just really hear that? Did James really just call her Lily? She figured it would be rude to not answer him, so she decided to put up an act, and try to be civil towards him. This was going to be tough.

"Yes," she muttered as politely as she could. She looked down at the floor, hoping to hide her eyes. "What?"

James looked at her, and practically melted at the sight. There she was, Lily Evans, standing in his presence. As beautiful as ever. Lily could feel someone staring at her, so she quickly pulled her head up, and caught Jame Potter staring at her.

It was strange. She was used to James stared by now, but this time was different. He didn't look at her like she was another girl that he could win, but he looked at her... lovingly. It creeped her out.

"Did you just fart?" James asked innocently.

"WHAT?" Lily asked, disgusted. "NO! Of course not, why would you ask that?"

"'Cause you just blew me away."

And with that, James Potter walked away.


	3. Chapter 3

"Evans!" James yelled. "Wait!"

Lily continued to walk away, with a certain hazel-eyed boy trailing after her.

"Merlin, Evans," he panted, still trying to catch up to her. "You're pretty fast, and you're not even running!"

As Lily continued to walk away, her red hair bouncing behind her, a smirk appeared on her face. She seemed to be enjoying James' current struggling state. The young witch turned her head to look behind her, but was surprised to see no one running after her.

She knew this was just some sort of trick, so she shrugged, then continued walking down the empty corridor. She was almost to the portrait leading to the Gryffindor Common Room when she was met by an old friend.

Severus Snape.

Remember the word _old_? Yes, they are not friends anymore. Snape ruined their friendship when he called Lily a mudblood, something that was unforgivable, in Lily's opinion.

"Snape, what do you want?" Lily asked coldly. She didn't want to have anything to do with Severus.

Severus flinched at the name 'Snape'. Lily used to call him 'Sev,' but he figured that their old friendship, and everything about it, dissolved when he called her a mudblood.

Lily didn't let him say anything. She scoffed as she walked past him, whispered the password to the Fat Lady, and entered the Gryffindor Common Room. When she walked in, she made her way over to the armchairs by the fireplace. She sat down, and allowed a few tears to fall. She always felt this way after an encounter with her ex-best friend.

That was how James found her an hour later - silently sobbing and curled up by the fire. He quietly walked over to the armchair that she was sitting in, and the sight he was met with broke his heart. Lily's eyes, bloodshot and puffy, her nose red from the crying, and her hair disheveled and messy.

"Lily?" James whispered. Lily slowly turned her head to look at him.

"What do you want, Potter?" she spat. Even after all the times that she had been mean to him, he knew that right now she was only upset with someone, not genuinely mad at him.

That was a first.

"Lily," James said again, walking closer to her. "What's wrong? You can tell me. I just want to help. You don't know how hard it is for me to see you so broken and vulnerable. It's not you."

Lily said one word. One word, and suddenly, it all made sense to James. "Severus."

James kneeled down in front of the chair that Lily was sitting in, and took her small, pale hands into his own. He looked at her, and waited until she looked into his eyes before he said anything. "Lily, he doesn't deserve your friendship. You're so amazing, that not even Felix Felices would help me win you over."

Lily smiled a little at the words James said.

"Thank you," she whispered, before getting out of the chair, hugging him softly, and walking up to the girls' dormitories. James sighed and walked up the stairs to his own dorm.


	4. Part 1

_Part 1_

The fire was slowly dying. She didn't know how long she had been sitting there, but she didn't really care. It could have been two hours, or two _days_, but she wouldn't know. All she knew was the pain that was slowly killing her.

Not literally, but emotionally, of course.

She was really living up to the redhead stereotype - fiery temper, full of emotions. However, her overload of emotions wasn't caused by her own actions. Someone else caused them, and that person didn't even know it.

Her best friend had caused it. Her best friend was caught snogging Lily's boyfriend in a broom cupboard. Lily couldn't blame it all on her; she had never told her about her boyfriend. Thalia Jones was a pureblood witch, with long, pin-straight brown hair, and piercing green-grey eyes that you could stare into for ages. She was a Hufflepuff. In Lily's eyes, she was perfect - beautiful, funny, kind, smart, and charming. Any boy would love to have her on his arm.

Lily had been dating Luke for only seven weeks, but she liked him a lot. She didn't know if it would last, but she knew that at the moment, she cared for him. However, Lily and Luke had come up with an agreement: they wouldn't tell anyone about their relationship.

The reason why is because Luke was in Hufflepuff, and Lily was in Gryffindor. He was in the same year as Thalia and Lily, but house unity wasn't very common at Hogwarts. Hufflepuff and Gryffindor had nothing against each other, but they weren't exactly allies. They were both worried for each other that they would be taunted and threatened because of their relationship.

Luke had mutual feelings towards Lily. He cared for her, but he didn't know if it was going to last. All he cared about was what they had at the moment. Luke wasn't aware of it, but he was starting to fancy someone else, while he was dating Lily. He was beginning to fancy none other than Thalia Jones.

Lily and Luke were pretty good at keeping their relationship a secret. They wouldn't show any signs of affection in public. No holding hands, no staring at each other, no kissing, and no sappy compliments. Neither of them realized that they weren't as close as they were before.

Their plan had backfired. Instead of allowing them a safe relationship, it had pulled them apart. It allowed Luke to feel stronger emotions about Thalia; it made him feel safe to fancy her. No one would taunt or tease Thalia and Luke for being together, because they were both Hufflepuffs. No one would look at them with disgust for liking each other.

And that's how it happened. Luke decided that it would be safer to persue Thalia rather than stay with Lily. However, he couldn't figure out how he was going to tell Lily. So instead, he chose not to. And head straight after Thalia.

It was Wednesday afternoon, Lily's favorite time of the week. She had no afternoon classes that day, so she walked to the library after lunch to finish her Potion's homework. Lily was happily skipping down the corridor, when she heard a small thud. It sounded like someone was being pushed against something. Her Prefect senses kicked in, and she silently walked towards the sound. It was coming from a broom cupboard.

Lily rolled her eyes. The noises were probably coming from some 7th years that were in the middle of a heated snog session. She pulled her wand out of the pocket of her robes, and approached the cupboard. With a flick of her wand, the doors burst open, and the culprits were revealed.

Luke Perkins and Thalia Jones were snogging in a broom cupboard.

Lily gasped and her eyes brimmed with tears. She suddenly found it hard to breathe. She wanted to yell at him, to curse him, to do _something_, but she couldn't. She was frozen. She couldn't say anything, and if she tried, she would just make small, pathetic choking sounds. Thalia and Luke jumped apart, their appearances disheveled. Both of their faces were flushed, their lips were slightly swollen, and their hair resembled something related to a bedhead. Luke looked pained and guilty, but he didn't seem remorseful. Thalia looked between Lily and Luke, confused. She didn't know that they were together, so she couldn't feel any guilt or pain for her friend.

Before any of them could say anything, Lily had bolted away from the scene the fastest she had ever ran. Along the way, she bumped into a few other students, and even sent a first year _flying,_ but she didn't stop. Once she got to the portrait hole leading to Gryffindor Tower, she yelled the password, 'Mumbling Mandrakes', and ran inside. Everyone inside turned to look at the distraught redhead who was stumbling towards the girls' dormitories.

Lily's vision was blurred by her tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes. She swiped at them before they could. She wasn't going to let people see her like this, so vulnerable and weak. She wanted to be strong and independent. She didn't want to be broken, but she _was_. She slowed her pace as she got closer to the staircase leading to her dorm.

James Potter was sitting with the Marauders by the fire when Lily entered the Common Room. He was the first to notice her pained expression and red, puffy eyes. He knew she had been crying, but he didn't know why. No one did. It hurt him deeply to see her like this, and it hurt him even more to not know what was causing her so much pain.

He watched as Lily stumbled up the stairs and into her dorm. He waited two minutes before he stood up, and walked away from the other three Marauders. Sirius was very confused.

"Oi, Prongs?" Sirius asked. "Where are you going?"

James didn't turn around to answer him. Remus immeadiately understood what he was going to do, and he answered for him.

"Sirius, he's going to try to comfort Lily. She seems really hurt, and it hurts _him_ to see her like that. Just leave him alone," Remus said smoothly. Sirius nodded. He understood James' feelings for Lily. James had chased after Lily ever since first year. Actually, ever since their first _day_ in first year. And it was now fifth year - that was _five_ years. He knew that he felt strong, genuine feelings for her.

James stood at the bottom of the stairs leading to the girls' dormitories. Boys weren't allowed up into their dorm, so in order to keep them out, the stairs would turn into a slide the moment a boy set a foot on one of the steps. James had no idea how he was going to get to talk to Lily. If he somehow got her to come downstairs, they wouldn't have any privacy. He knew Lily hated being comforted in public, heck, she hated being comforted. But, he also couldn't go up those stairs. He had no way of getting her to talk. Unless..

In just two minutes, James Potter was at the bottom of the stairs leading to the Girls' Dormitories, mounting a broom. Yes, he was going to _fly_ up those stairs.

* * *

_Continued in part 2..._


	5. Part 2

_Part 2_

Everyone in the Gryffindor common room looked at James with pure admiration and respect. None of them realized how much he loved Lily Evans, until now, when he decided that he was going to fly up the stairs to the girls' dormitories just to talk to her. He was definitely determined and dedicated. No one could deny that, not now.

The Marauders watched James from their place by the fire. They were all amazed as well. They knew he loved Lily to no end, but this? He was seriously going to fly up those stairs to talk to her. No one could deny the fact that James was a wonderful Quidditch player, but the stairway leading to the Girls' Dorm was very narrow, and its path involved quite a few turns. If he succeeded, no one would ever forget it. How could you?

Sirius was watching James with excitement blazing in his eyes. If James pulled this off, it would be a great feat for his friend. But if he failed, well, it would be one heck of a story to tell others about. Typical Sirius.

Remus was looking at him with a concerned expression. He was the most logical out of the four, and he didn't think this was a good idea. There was a great chance James would do something wrong and end up in the Hospital Wing yet again. Definitely Remus.

Peter, well. He was stuffing his face with food. Oh Peter.

James was preparing himself, and what was going through his head was rather cliche:

_I am doing this for Lily Evans. She is the most beautiful woman to walk this earth, and she does not deserve these feelings of sadness and despair. Oh no, she's softened me up. I'll need to hang out with Padfoot for a while.._

_Focus, Prongs! Remember the task at hand. You are doing this for the girl you love. You love her. You want her to be your girlfriend. You want to marry her. You want to-_

He was staring off into space, still mounting his broom, when Lily came down the stairs. The common room was almost empty, the Marauders were still sitting by the fire, looking at Lily with 'shocked' practically written across their faces. Lily was confused as to why James was mounting his broom at the bottom of the stairs, but she just shrugged and walked over to a armchair by the Marauders.

She noticed that Remus and Sirius' mouths were wide open in shock. She was suddenly _very_ confused. "You guys better close your mouths. Peter's food is probably attracting flies, you're bound to get some in your mouth."

SIrius shook his head, and looked away from Lily and James, and turned towards the fire. Remus was still shocked, and his face showed it. He kept turning his head to look at James, then Lily, then back to James. This went on for a while. Lily smirked, then pulled her legs up on the chair and wrapped her arms around them.

Remus and Sirius decided that they would leave James and Lily alone to themselves to talk. James was _still_ by the stairs mounting his broom, and he was _still _staring off into space. They two boys easily snuck past him and into their own dormitories. After another minutes of silence, James kicked off, and flew up the stairs to the Girls' dorm.

Lily watched in amusement, and her smirk became a true smile when she heard the noises coming from upstairs. Many different words were exchanged, such as:

"What the bloody hell are you doing up here, Potter?"

"What if we were changing? You perverted twat!"

"Oh James! You are so cute! Did you come all the way up here to see me?"

Lily winced at the last one. She couldn't believe how thick some of her roommates were.

Soon, Lily heard something being hit by something soft, probably James being pelted by pillows. Oh how Lily loved her friends.

James ran out of the dorm, and landed at the bottom of the stairs. He didn't even bother flying out of there, he just stepped onto the stairs, and they turned into a slide, allowing him a quick exit. He landed on his back, broomstick in hand, and glasses askew.

He noticed that Lily was sitting in a armchair, and she was facing away from him. He silently walked closer, and he could've sworn he heard sobbing.

Lily was broken. She was broken up about something, or someone, that no one knew about.

* * *

_Continued in part 3..._


	6. Part 3

_Part 3_

"Lily?"

Lily turned at the sound of her name. She saw none other than James Potter standing a few feet away from her, looking hurt and concerned. She had no idea that he was feeling this way because of her.

"Y-yes?" she whispered, hiccuping a bit. Her voice was hoarse, but not as much as it would've been if she had been crying her heart out. She had just been sitting there silently sobbing, but pain was still shown in her voice.

James flinched, but Lily didn't notice it. She was staring into the fire, which was slowly dying. No one, but the Marauders of course, knew that James' feelings for Lily were very deep. It wasn't just a crush. He truly felt pain everytime he saw Lily upset, and it made him want to murder whoever had done that to her. It sounds cliche, but it was true.

"Lily, what's wrong? You can tell me, please," James pleaded. When Lily looked into his hazel eyes, she saw true emotion.

"I-I saw Luke snogging T-Thalia in a b-broom c-cupboard," she stammered.

James was confused. "Who's Luke? And why does it matter if he snogged Thalia?"

For a second, Lily was so blinded by the pain that she forgot that no one knew about her and Luke's relationship. She was alone.

Lily shed a few more tears, and eventually calmed down enough to explain everything to James. She explained her hidden relationship, her journey to the library, and then the discovery. By then time she was finished, there was a crease on James' forehead, and his eyes were blazing.

"That-that GIT!" James growled darkly. "All I want to do right now is rip off his-"

"JAMES!"

"Sorry," he muttered. He then realized something. "Wait, did you just call me James?"

"Umm," Lily mumbled.

"I like it. It sounds nice coming from you."

Lily couldn't help but blush. She suddenly decided that James Potter wasn't so bad after all. But right now, no one could take away the pain. It was just too much.

"Lily," James said softly, as if he was testing the name out. He smiled slightly, and his expression softened.

"Lily, he wasn't worth it. No one is worth you. You are absolutely beautiful. And Luke was being a prat, with his head stuck up his arse. There's no way he couldn't have seen how amazing you are if it wasn't."

At first, Lily thought his comment was completely bizarre. But as she thought about it, she started to tear up at the words. Happy tears, now. She silently vowed that she would never make the mistake of crying over someone that broke her heart like that ever again.

She smiled, and James visibly brightened.

"Thank you, James."

Lily smiled again, and walked up to her dorm, leaving James in the common room, silently rejoicing and grinning like a fool.


	7. Chapter 7

It was another day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Lily Evans was currently sitting in the dungeons, waiting for her Potions class to start. The Potions Master, Professor Slughorn, was late, again.

Lily was sitting at a table, aimlessly doodling on a spare piece of parchment, when James Potter sat down next to her. This earned him a famous Lily Evans death glare. Lily did not like two things - being interrupted, especially when she was drawing, and being interrupted by James Potter. James just smirked, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Aw, Evans," James said happily. "No need to glare at your future husband."

Lily's face was red and you could practically see the steam coming out from her ears. "Potter," she spat. "You need to get it through that thick head of your's that I will _never_ marry you, let alone go out with you."

James' face fell slightly, but Lily didn't see it. She didn't know how much it actually hurt him everytime she rejected him.

"C'mon, Evans, just go out with me. You know ya wanna," he sang the last part childishly.

Lily's lips twitched, but she controled herself. She was _not _going to smile, especially in the presence of James Potter.

"No, Potter," she said coldly through clenched teeth. "I will not go out with you."

"Fine," James said suddenly. This caught Lily off guard.

"Huh?" she asked, her eyes widening.

"You don't have to go out with me," he stated.

"Finally, you understand," she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

"Just smile."

Lily was caught off guard again. "W-what?" she stammered.

"Your smile can make the angels sing," he said cheekily, and then walked away.

Coincidentally, Professor Slughorn walked into the dungeons at that very moment. He started calling attendance, but Lily wasn't listening. James looked at her from his seat across the room and smirked.

He loved leaving her confused.


	8. Chapter 8

It was a Friday night, and Lily Evans was currently sitting in the Gryffindor common room, reading a book. She was so into her novel that she didn't notice the person across the room. James Potter.

James was sitting down with his friends, talking aimlessly about everything and anything. Every few minutes, he would glance at the red head sitting across the room. And his friends were starting to get sick of it.

"Prongs, mate, just talk to her," Sirius said, exasperated. "It's not like you to pass up the chance to talk to Evans."

"He's right, James," Remus said, glaring at Sirius for being rude. "Just talk to her. Say _something_."

James nodded, looked down at the floor, and stood up slowly. He quietly walked over to where Lily was sitting, with the Marauders watching him anxiously. Lily looked up from her book to see James standing in front of her, looking uncharacteristically nervous.

"Umm... Potter?" Lily asked. "What do you want?"

It was definitely not like James Potter to be nervous, especially in the presence of a girl. He was usally cocky and confident that the girl would be drooling all over him. Wait, nevermind. No boy wants a girl to _actually_ drool on them. That's kind of sick.

"Uh, nothing," he mumbled then slowly turned around.

Lily shook her head, then returned to reading. Her head snapped up when she heard a loud _thud_. She looked to see that across the common room, James had tripped and fallen on his back. Lily tried to stiffle a laugh. She failed. Miserably.

James looked up at the sound of a girl's tinkling laugh. His eyes immediately fell on Lily. He smirked, picked himself up off the floor, and walked back over to her.

The Marauders were still sitting where they were, across the room from Lily. All of the, even Remus, were thoroughly confused as to why James just suddenly tripped over _nothing_, and then smiled about it. It made no sense.

Lily pressed her lips into a tight line. She was trying to stop herself from laughing at James, as that would come across as rude. Lily Evans was not a rude person. She would slap you across the face if you said otherwise. Very polite, indeed.

James smirked. "You may fall on the floor, you may fall from a tree, but the best way to fall.. is in love with me."

Lily gasped and shook her head, flushing red. All amusement just flew out the window. "I'd rather fall down five flights of stairs," she snapped. Yes, definitely polite.

She got up from her place on the couch, book in hand, and marched over to the stairs leading to the girls' dormitories. Before she walked up them, she turned back to James.

"And, Potter," she said with a small smile. "It was _you_ who fell. I'd be more careful."

After she disappeared up the stairs, James remained where he was. He stood there, a small smile on his face, looking at the spot where Lily had been just moments before.

"And I don't regret falling for you," James whispered.

But of course, no one heard him.


	9. Chapter 9

Lily Evans couldn't sleep. She had been tossing and turning all night, flipping her pillow over, then doing it again. She just couldn't sleep. She was absolutely restless.

She decided that she should try to tire herself out. She recalled childhood memories of sleepless nights, and how lack of energy and exhaustion would eventually lull her to sleep.

She looked at herself in the mirror, making sure she was dressed decently. She was wearing a tank top and a pair of shorts. It was only September, and the summer heat was still present. She shrugged her approval and walked down the stairs, grabbing a random book off her dresser before leaving the dorm.

She quickly located a chair in front of the fire. She conjured up a blanket, and started to read her book. She wasn't getting very far, and she felt just as awake as she was before. She groaned softly, leaned her head back against the chair, and closed her eyes.

No one knew this, but James Potter was a _very_ light sleeper. He was very perceptive, even when sleeping. James had heard the small groan coming from the common room. He glanced at the clock sitting on the table beside his bed. _3:09 A.M. _Classes didn't start for another six would be awake at this time?

He threw on a pair of sweatpants and slowly descended the stairs, but not before grabbing his wand and pocketing it.

His years of pulling pranks and sneaking around after hours had done him well. Lily didn't notice James walking down the stairs. Not a single stair had creaked.

James was, to put it mildly, shocked when he noticed the redhead sitting in the common room. Lily had always been a perfect student, getting to bed on time and sleeping for hours to get a good night's sleep. She was always prompt to classes and never overslept.

She had also never had a sleepless night. And James knew that well, being the perceptive and observant person he was. It would also be good to note that he was completely in love with Lily Evans.

He silently crept up behind the chair that Lily was sitting in. She still hadn't noticed his presence.

"Evans? Lily?" James whispered. Lily quickly looked behind her, startled from the sudden noise. She relaxed when she saw that it was only James.

"Yes, what do you want Potter?" Lily said impatiently. Usually, James would have been slightly offended at the tone of her voice, but he could hear the restlessness and sleepiness behind it.

"Are you alright? I know you rarely ever wake up in the middle of the night."

Lily was somewhat surprised. She didn't realize that James knew that much about her. "I'm fine, Potter, thanks for asking," she said in a softer tone.

Lily felt somewhat calmer now than she had before, and she decided that she should try going back to sleep. "If you will excuse me, Potter, I think I'll be heading off to bed. Goodnight."

She started walking over to the stairs, rubbing her arms absentmindedly. She didn't notice that it had gotten a little colder in the time that she had spent in the common room. James noticed this small action and smirked, an idea coming to his head.

"Hey, Evans, I lost my teddy bear. Will _you _cuddle with me?" James asked, feigning a look of innocence.

Lily spun around to give James a strange look.

"Wow, you _still_ have a teddy bear? Some man, you are, Potter."

She walked up the stairs without giving James another look.

"No! Wait, Lily! That wasn't what I meant!"


	10. Chapter 10

"Potter," Lily pressed. "You can't do it. Just give up already."

James smirked. His expression suddenly changed from amusement to determination. The twinkle of joy never left his eyes.

"I will get you to smile," James declared. "You will smile at one of them."

"Yeah, when Sirius becomes the Potions Master," Lily muttered. It was common knowledge to all Gryffindors (and even some Slytherins) that Potions was Sirius Black's worst subject. He tended to make things blow... up a lot.

Out of nowhere, said boy appeared behind her. "OI!" he exclaimed, his face displaying a look of mock indignation, but the effect was ruined by the smile that was tugging on the corners of his mouth.

Lily jumped at the sound of Sirius' loud voice behind her. She quickly recognized who it was without turning around. She giggled and then turned to walk away from the two Marauders.

She quickly made her way out of the portrait hole - they were in the Gryffindor Common Room. The portrait closed behind her, leaving Sirius and James alone.

"Prongs, what were you two talking about?" Sirius asked. James decided that Sirius ought to know, even if he would tease him about it later.

James sighed. "I tried to use another one of my pickup lines," James admitted, smiling sheepishly. "And it didn't go so well."

It was silent for a moment.

James predicted that Sirus would burst into laughter in three seconds.

Three..

Two..

"HAHA!"

Hmm, early.

James frowned. He knew that Sirius actually supported him in his 'quest for Lily's heart,' but sometimes it was hard to tell. He always found his failed attempts funny, which brought down his self-esteem.

James glared at his so-called best friend. Sirius calmed down a bit to see his reaction, which only caused him to laugh louder.

It had been seven minutes before Sirius stopped laughing. When he finally calmed down, Sirius' expression was unfathomable. It looked sympathetic and sad.

"I'm sorry, mate, but Lily doesn't like that kind of stuff," Sirius said in a knowing tone.

James' eyes widened at his words, and also Sirius' use of her first name. They usually referred to her as 'Evans' but never her actual first name.

"But- How would you know?" James bellowed.

"Dude, Lily told me!" Sirius said in a rushed voice. He put his hands up as if he was surrendering to something.

James was confused. He had always thought that Lily and Sirius had a relationship as academic acquaintances. They only talked during classes and even then they barely tolerated each other.

"W-why would she tell you?"

"Because she thought telling me would somehow get you to stop, and also 'cause we are kind of friends," Sirius said the last part quietly, as if he were afraid of the words themselves.

James' mouth popped open and he stared at Sirius incredulously. Sirius noticed this and rushed to say something.

"Well, if you hadn't spent the last few years drooling over Evans, you would have noticed that we're kind of friends!"

James had nothing to say to that. He obviously couldn't deny it, not that he wanted to.

"So," James said in a much calmer tone. "What do I do?"

"Well, first of all," Sirius said in a uncharacteristically mature voice. "How do you feel about Evans?"

"She- she's beautiful," James said in a dreamy voice, as if he were in some sort of trance. His eyes glazed and his lips fell into a relaxed smile. "She's absolutely drop dead gorgeous, with her auburn hair and emerald green eyes."

Sirius nodded, encouraging him to continue. He smiled, knowing something that James didn't.

"Her laugh is like music to my ears. Her voice is so melodious and it sounds like angels singing. She's so smart and funny. Some people might call her a stick in the mud, but I think she's so full and life."

While James was describing in _full_ detail his love for Lily, he didn't notice Sirius leave and someone else take his place. When he finally finished, he blinked and focused his attention on the person in front of him. He gasped and almost fainted when he realized who it was.

Lily Evans was leaning on an armchair in front of him. She was standing exactly where Sirius was a few moments ago. Sirius noticed her return to the room, and quickly came up with a plan.

He would get James to describe what he loved about Lily, and Lily would 'stumble' upon the conversation. It wasn't much, but the results could be worth while.

"Wow, _James_," Lily said, smiling. She knew her use of his first name would drive James practically to madness. "That was really.. sweet."

And with that, she stood on her toes and gave James a quick peck on the cheek. Without saying a word or looking back, she calmly walked to the girls' dorms, smiling all the way.

James just stood there, dazed, touching his cheek lightly.

"I. Will. Never. Wash. My. Cheek. Again."


	11. Chapter 11

It was a rainy day, and most of the students were running around, trying to find something either productive or entertaining to keep them busy. A certain redhead was on her way to the library, completely unaware of the three boys trailing behind her.

"Prongs, are you sure this is a good idea?" Remus said in a hushed voice. "She might get _really _mad at you."

"Now, Moony," Sirius said, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Evans couldn't possibly get mad at him for asking a simple question, now can she?"

Remus just gave him a look that said "She has _millions _of times before." Sirius sighed and just shook his head, turning around to give James a hopeless look. However, James wasn't paying attention to his two friends, who were walking a few feet in front of him.

He was too busy thinking about what he was going to say. He had changed his mind so many times in the past few minutes that he didn't even bother telling his friends what he was really going to do. After all, what's the point in telling them when your plan changed every few seconds?

His first plan was to charm a rose to follow her. When- if, she picked it up, an old Muggle love song would play until she let it go. Then it would continue to follow her. It wasn't the best idea, but he was feeling unusually unoriginal that day.

In a matter of minutes, Lily, and the three Marauders behind her, arrived at the library. James still hadn't decided on a real plan, so he was just going to wing it.

"James, mate, what are you going to do?" Remus asked hesitantly. He was worried for Lily. The two were actually pretty good friends, and he knew how smitten James was with her. It annoyed Lily to no end whenever James pulled a move on her.

"Umm, honestly?" James laughed nervously. "I don't know."

Silence.

Then..

"HAHA!"

Sirius was very supportive. Really. Just not now.

Sirius was still laughing, and people were giving him odd looks. Luckily, Lily had already entered the library, so she didn't hear him. Remus gave him an exasperated look and James just glared at him. However, Sirius didn't notice, he just turned around and walked away, still laughing.

James and Remus exchanged confused looks. Well, actually, they were more like "What the hell?" looks. James just shrugged it off and walked inside the library, Remus walking behind him.

James immediately spotted the redhead sitting alone at a table near the back of the library. He sucked in a deep breath, and quite literally, marched toward her table. Remus gave him an odd look but followed him anyway.

Once James finally got there, Lily had already noticed him and was looking at him expectantly. She did not expect him to say what he did next.

"I've noticed you noticing me and I'm just giving you notice that I've noticed you too!"

James said this all in one breath and was looking slightly winded.

"W-what?" Lily stuttered. She was very confused, and it was shown on her face.

Remus was too lost, and he just decided to walk away before anything else happened.

"Umm, nevermind, I don't really get it myself," James shrugged and turned around. He walked out of the library and back to his dorms.

He looked calm, but on the inside he was mentally slapping himself for saying that, of _all_ things, to Lily Evans.

Lily just sat there, with a small smile on her face.

"Potter is such a dope."


	12. Chapter 12

"James, mate, I'm sorry, but even after all this time, I still do not understand your undying love for Evans," Sirius sighed exasperatedly. He was watching James rehearse for the thousandth time what he was going to say to Lily. It was actually rather amusing.

James was pacing, doing something that looked like it belonged in one of Shakespeare's plays. He was holding one hand to his heart and another out in the air, as if he were gesturing to something.

"My fairest Lily, you are the most beautiful maiden in the world. So pure and magnificent, like the flower for which you were named. Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to Hogsmeade next weekend?" James said in a.. weird voice. It's like he had just shoved all the fancy Parliament members down his throat or something.

Sirius couldn't stand it. He just _had _to laugh.

James frowned at the sight of his best mate laughing at him. He was used to it, but it still bothered him.

"Thanks, thanks for being _so _supportive, Pads," James said bitterly, but his growing smirk betrayed the cold tone. Sirius was still laughing. James decided that now was the time to act.

He grinned mischievously. His eyes were sparkling excitedly. "This is what you get for laughing, Padfoot," James said through gritted teeth. Sirius stopped laughing and looked at him with a questioning expression on his face. He didn't see what was happening next.

James charged and tackled him, knocking him out of the chair he was sitting in. "Prongs! PRONGS!" Sirius yelled, trying to pry James' arms from around his body. "Let me go! LET ME GO!"

"James, all this time, I thought you were in love with Lily," Remus said, suddenly appearing in the boys' dorm, where the two were wrestling on the floor. "And now you've ditched her for Sirius? That's just sick, mate."

James made a noise of disgust and quickly released Sirius. "Remus, you should know. Lily's the only one for me."

"And I will never understand why," Sirius muttered under his breath. James heard it, but decided to ignore it.

Truth was, Sirius and Lily were actually pretty close, almost like siblings. He was very protective of her, actually. That was why he acted as if James was wasting his time and effort chasing after her. He hoped that his lack of support would discourage him. Best mate or not, Lily was practically his sister. And he did not particularly fancy the idea of his "sister" and his "brother" being a couple.

In his mind, the thought was rather disturbing.

"Just for clarification, why were you trying to kill Sirius in the middle of our dorm?" Remus asked, smirking slightly.

"Padfoot here was making fun of me," James pouted childishly. Remus chuckled and shook his head.

"And why was he making fun of you?" Remus was beginning to enjoy this.

"Because-" James started to speak, but Sirius cut him off.

"Oh, Moony, you would have, too, if you had seen him. He was professing his love for her in the _stupidest_ way." Sirius cleared his throat and began to reenact the event.

"_Oh Lily! You are so beautiful and pure! Just like the flower for which you were named! Would you please go to Hogsmeade with me next weekend!" _Sirius said dramatically, smirking. He almost laughed out loud again at the indignant look on James' face.

"It wasn't that bad.." he muttered, crossing his arms and pouting.

"James," Remus said bluntly. "Lily likes literature and all, but I think you should use a more _modern_ approach."

James considered the idea and nodded thoughtfully. He smiled and sprinted out of the dorm and down the stairs. Remus and Sirius exchanged looks before following him.

They found him in the Common Room, silently walking over to a certain redheaded witch who was sitting by the fire. She didn't notice him coming.

"Evans!" James bellowed happily. Lily jumped ten feet in the air and turned to glare at him.

"What do you want, Potter!" she hissed, obviously irritated.

"If I received a knut for every time I saw a girl as beautiful as you, I'd have a knut," he said cheekily, waggling his eyebrows in a manner that he thought to be flirtatious.

Lily smirked and walked over to him gracefully. James' eyes widened and his smile widened. Remus and Sirius watched the scene unfold in front of them from where they stood by the stairs.

"Potter, if I received a knut for every time I wanted to strangle you, I'd be _freaking_ rich," she said, mimicking James' tone. She smirked again at the surprised look on James' face.

Lily laughed and skipped up the stairs to her dorm, leaving a speechless James, and his amused two friends in the common room, gaping at her.


	13. Chapter 13

The Gryffindor common room was packed. The Gryffindor house team had just won their first game of the year against Slytherin, and they were all celebrating with a party. And of course, the party was hosted by none other than the infamous Marauders.

Somehow, Sirius had found a way to charm Muggle stereo systems to work on Hogwarts grounds, where electronics usually didn't work. It was pretty impressive magic for a fifth year.

People could be found dancing in the center of the common room, where the couches had been pushed to the walls in order to make room for a make-shift dance floor. Some seventh years were sipping from bottles of Firewhiskey, while everyone else was drinking Butterbeer and punch.

Some adventurous couples were scatted around the room, exploring new places to snog. Some were on the couches pushed against the walls, others in the corners of the room, and some even on the few desks around the room.

Lily was not one for these types of parties. Sure, she attended, but she wasn't one of the people who got drunk and passed out on the couch, only to remember nothing of the past night when they wake up. She was more responsible, and usually the one who broke the party up when things got too out of hand.

She sat on one of the couches closest to the fire and one of her friends Thalia Jones sat next to her. The two were talking contently about everything and anything, ignoring the raging party around them. Thalia usually liked these parties, but tonight she just wasn't in the mood.

Lily's eyes scanned the moving crowd in the middle of the common room for a mass of messy jet black hair. She was worried. She hadn't seen him all night, and that was highly unusual. After all, this very party was of his own creation.

She was very surprised that James Potter had not hit on her yet this evening. It was a daily occurrence for him to constantly flirt with her. He would always get shut down.

Speak of the devil..

"Evans!" James bellowed, coming from out of nowhere and suddenly appearing a few steps in front of Lily and Thalia. Thalia threw her a look that was both amused and expectant. In her mind, this was probably the highlight of the night.

Lily sighed. "What do you want, Potter?" Lily had to yell to be heard over the blasting music. James smirked and cocked his head in the direction of the dance floor.

"See my friend over there? He wants to know if you think I'm cute," he said, looking over at the center of the room once again. He smiled smugly.

Lily glanced over there and laughed. "Your 'friend' over there is Sirius, and I highly doubt he wants to know whether or not I think you're attractive. Give it up, Potter."

James's smile vanished and turned into an exaggerated pout. "I _will_ win you over" he said, sounding like an overly determined five year old child.

Lily just laughed as she watched James walk back over to Sirius with his shoulders slumped and an overstated frown on his face.

Lily turned to face Thalia and shrugged. The two were silent for a moment before they broke out into a fit of laughter.

"James needs to work on his pick-up lines."

No kidding, Thalia.


	14. Chapter 14

It was the best time of the year, in James' opinion. It was the Christmas season, and the holiday spirit was affecting everyone at Hogwarts.

House elves were often seen wandering the corridors, making sure every single Christmas decoration was perfectly set up and flawless. Little first years were known to go out onto the grounds for daily afternoon snowball fights. Some people, like Sirius and Peter, often slipped out of the dorms late at night for a 'taste test' of the holiday feasts that were held every night.

James was a unique person during the holidays. No matter how old he got, he would still have the spirit of a young child when it came time for the carols, cookies, and mistletoe. His friends thought his favorite part was the mistletoe, but no one dared to ask him.

The truth was, he just loved Christmas because of the happiness it brought everyone. It was during this time that everyone forgot about all the pain and suffering in the world.

But James Potter also had another reason why he loved Christmas.

Christmas reminded him of Lily Evans, his crush for the past five years. Her long auburn hair and bright, sparkling emerald eyes made him think of the traditional Christmas colors – red and green. But that didn't matter, he loved her whether or not she reminded him of Christmas. He'd love her if she was a brunette with eyes the color of a dull, dirt brown (but if he was being honest, he'd have to admit her unique appearance is what first caught his attention).

The Marauders were currently sitting in the common room, lounging lazily by the dying fire. The embers crackled softly and the fire casted flickering shadows along the brick walls. Only a few other people were in the common room besides the four boys, and Lily Evans was one of them.

She sat at one of the desks by the staircases, with her two best friends, Thalia Jones and Alice Prynn, leaning on the wall behind her. The three girls were happily chatting about random things, ignoring the four boys who were sitting in the middle of the common room.

James couldn't help but stare at Lily. The fire made her hair shine and her eyes even brighter than normal. She looked beautiful.

Sirius snorted when he saw who James was looking at. It was typical of James to sit in the common room for unbelievably long periods of time, just staring at Lily.

Remus sighed. His friend was obviously in love with Lily Evans, but she wouldn't give him the time of day. If James didn't act so arrogant and foolish around her, then he might have a chance.

Peter just sat there, half asleep.

James decided that he had to do something. Lily had not said a word to him all day, not even to insult him. And that was partially his fault. He had done nothing to provoke her. Lily tried to avoid James, and she would not speak to him willingly.

He had made up his mind. He was going to talk to her.

He abruptly stood up, causing Sirius and Remus to quickly look up at him. They saw which direction he was heading in and rolled their eyes simultaneously, before reengaging in their discussion.

Thalia and Alice saw James approaching and stopped talking. Lily raised an eyebrow at them and spun around to see what they were looking at. She narrowed her eyes when she saw who it was.

"Potter," she said shortly, nodding curtly in his direction. He just smiled.

"Evans," he said casually.

"What do you want?" she asked impatiently, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I just wanted to inform you," James replied. "If a fat man puts you in a bag at night, don't worry. I told Santa I wanted you for Christmas."

Lily snorted delicately. "That's _very _reassuring, Potter. Thanks for telling me."

She smiled before ascending the staircase behind her. Alice waved and Thalia comfortingly pat James on the arm. They both disappeared up the staircase closely after Lily.

James walked dejectedly back over to where his friends were trying to contain their laughter. But they were _trying, _and failing.

"I guess that wasn't the best one I could have used, huh?"

"Yep. Because every girl just _dreams_ of a bloke telling her she' going to get kidnapped."


	15. Chapter 15

Lily, Thalia and the Marauders were eating dinner in the Great Hall. They were just finishing up and were gathering their stuff so they could leave.

Just as Thalia and Lily were making their way out of the hall, James ran up and tapped Lily on the shoulder.

Thalia noticed James before Lily did and she smirked, knowing another date proposal was going to head her way soon.

Lily whipped her head around and caught sight of James, which caused her to frown. "Potter, what do you want now?"

He smiled innocently and said, "My love for you is like diarrhea, I just can't hold it in!"

Thalia and Lily both cringed simultaneously. "Gross," Lily said.

James flushed and ran a hand through his already unruly jet black hair. "Okay, nevermind, that was a bad one."

Thalia and Lily glanced at each other before replying in unison.

"Definitely."

* * *

**I purposely made this short so you readers could imagine what happened next. Let me know what you came up with!**


	16. Chapter 16

Lily sighed and rested her head in her hands. Sometimes even the smallest, insignificant things, like Arithmancy homework, made her miss her home in the Muggle world.

The numbers and problem solving involved in arithmancy brought back memories of math class. The feel of the smooth pencil in her hand, the scratchy sound of the lead making dark marks on the paper, the mind-numbing problems that never ceased to irritate her. All of those things reminded Lily of her life years ago.

Lily looked down at the piece of parchment sitting on the table before her. At that moment, she wished for nothing but something to come and distract her from her work, even if for just a moment.

And not a second later, James Potter strolled through the portrait hole and into the Gryffindor common room. Lily rolled her eyes and chuckled. Of course.

"Lily!" James yelled happily. Everyone else in the common room glanced up at her and gave her a knowing look.

"Potter," she said calmly, politely acknowledging his presence.

James sauntered up to her table and smiled. He leaned casually against the edge of the table with his arms crossed. He looked like the epitome of ease.

"How are you doing tonight, Evans?" he asked, his eyes twinkling.

"I'm fine, just doing some homework, as you can see," Lily said in a flat tone. She didn't have the energy to fight with him.

Lily figured, well, _hoped_, that if she didn't argue with him, James would get bored and walk away. She mentally crossed her fingers, hoping that somehow, it would work.

It didn't.

"What homework are you doing?" James asked. He leaned over the table to peer down at her neat penmanship.

James smiled as he studied Lily's elegant handwriting. The smooth curves, the gentle markings. One of the many things he loved about her.

"Ah, arithmancy," he said, chuckling lightly. "Not a favorite?"

Lily was surprised to find herself genuinely laughing. "Not necessarily, but today it's particularly boring."

James chuckled and ran a hand through his already messy jet black hair. "Hmm.. Alright I have something number related."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what would that be?"

James grinned. "There are 20 angels in the world. 11 are playing, 8 are sleeping, and 1 is standing right in front me me."

Lily laughed. "Wow, Potter. You must be one heck of a stalker to know that. I must commend you on your amazingly creepy abilities."

The smirk on James' face disappeared, replaced by an embarrassed look. He stood there awkwardly for a few moments, rubbing the back of his neck, before he mumbled a 'bye Evans' and left her. Lily chuckled a bit, but was surprised to find herself feeling a lot better than she had before.

_Thanks, James_, Lily whispered internally.


	17. Chapter 17

"Lily! Could you help me with something over here?" James Potter called out from his spot next to the fireplace in the common room.

Lily sighed. "Fine," she said, walking over to him, "What is it?"

James held up a slightly crumpled piece of parchment. "My little cousin sent me a letter. He's only five, so of course his spelling and grammar and whatnot isn't the best. Could you help me decipher it?"

"Sure, I guess," she replied, taking the parchment from him.

She quickly read it twice, her mouth ocassionally twitching in amusement.

_James,_

_Mum sed I shud rite you a letter to your scool so you can reed it. I miss you and I no Mum and Dad miss you to. I am kinda sad. Becuz you are gone, I have no one to play with. But dont wory, I no you will be home soon for Christmas. May bee we can play then._

_Miss you,_

_Jasper_

"Well, James, I must say, I'm pretty impressed with your five year old cousin. I could actually understand what he was saying. He has a pretty good understanding of the english alphabet," Lily noted, scanning the letter once more. She actually found the letter rather adorable. This little boy, Jasper, must really love James. _I bet he would be a good father,_ Lily wondered. She mentally slapped herself for the thought.

James' eyes twinkled. Not a good sign for Lily.

"Well, Evans, if I could rearrange the alphabet, I would put U and I together," he said, winking at her.

Lily rolled her eyes. "If I could rearrange the alphabet, I would be F and U together. Good day, Potter."

James smirked as he watched Lily turn on her heel and walk up to her dorm.


	18. Chapter 18

It was a cold, wet night, and all the students of Hogwarts were seated in the Great Hall, eating dinner. Noises of chatter and the clinging of silverware against plates sounded throughout the room.

At the Gryffindor table, a certain redheaded girl and a particular raven-haired boy sat across from each other. Neither of them said a word, but you could tell just by looking at the two that they both wish the other would start a conversation.

"Hey Lils? What are we gonna do over break?" Thalia asked from beside Lily.

The students were due to head home in two days for Easter break, and two of Lily's best friends, Thalia Jones and Alice Prynn, were going to spend the break with Lily at her home.

"Um.. oh! We could head into Muggle London some time!" Lily piped up, looking excited at the thought. She hadn't spent any time there in a good couple of months, and she believed it would be a good experience for her two pureblood best friends.

The word 'Muggle' seemed to have brought an idea to James' head. Lily didn't like the mischievous gleam in his hazel eyes.

"Evans, if you were a new hamburger at McDonald's, you would be a McGorgeous!" he said with a smirk. One day during Muggle Studies, they learned about Muggle food. Of course, this tiny bit of information sparked pickup line ideas in James' mind.

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Did you seriously just call me a hamburger?"

James didn't know how to reply.


	19. Chapter 19

It was the night before everyone left for Christmas break, and the Gryffindors were busy doing what they do best: throwing a party.

The party was in full swing, having already lasted for at least an hour. Lily Evans and Thalia Jones were sitting on a couch by the fire, talking to each other and blocking out the loud noises coming from the party around them.

Lily winced as she heard a loud crash. It sounded like someone had accidentally pushed a table over. Oh well, it wasn't her problem. She might as well enjoy the time with her best friend.

"Evans!"

Lily rolled her eyes. She would know that voice anywhere.

Thalia giggled. She kenw it was about time he made his appearance to them. After all, he could never stay away, now could he?

James Potter appeared from out of nowhere. His messy raven hair was in its usual untidy style and his hazel eyes sparkled with mischief. He wore a blue button down left undone with a white shirt underneath. Lily couldn't lie to herself, she had to admit he looked pretty good. _Stop it, Lily, don't think that way_, she mentally scolded herself.

"What do you want, Potter?" she said, exasperated. She thought he looked good, but she wasn't going to let him know that.

"Hey, don't be like that. I may not be the best-looking guy in here, but I'm the only one talking to you."

Lily smirked. "So you admit it? You know, I do think Trent Conway looks pretty handsome tonight, I think I'll go talk to him."

Lily got up and walked into the crowd gathered in the middle of the room. James looked panicked, and Thalia couldn't help but laugh at his expression.

"Wait, no, Lily! It should be me! IT SHOULD BE ME!"


	20. Chapter 20

Lily smiled contently as she listened to the faint chirping of birds right outside the greenhouse. She sat there, a smile on her face, as she and the rest of the 6th year Gryffindors had their Herbology lesson.

"Now, class, I would like all of you to work in partners to collect three vials of bubotuber pus. Once you are done, you may leave and go to your next class," Professor Sprout instructed cheerfully.

Lily rolled her eyes. _When was she _ever _not happy?_

"C'mon Lily, I really want to leave! Her overly happy attitude is really making me want to scream," Thalia grumbled, nudging Lily lightly in the side.

The two set to work, gathering the vials and pulling on their dragon-hide gloves. In a matter of minutes, the two were finished. Thalia and Lily cleared up their station and collected their books, preparing to head to their next class.

James sighed as he watched Lily. His hazel eyes had never left the sight of her the entire class. His best friend, Sirius, snorted when he saw him staring longingly at the beautiful redhead.

James' relaxed smile changed into a mischievous smirk as an idea popped into his head. He confidently slung his bag over his shoulder and walked toward Lily.

"Hey Lily!" he called out.

Lily spun around and a scowl quickly replaced her smile. She was not looking forward to this.

"What is it now, Potter?" she said sourly. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently.

"If I had a garden, I'd put your two lips and my two lips together," James said, flashing a dazzling smile at Lily.

She smirked.

"I've always questioned how in touch you were with your feminine side, Potter. Now I fully understand."

And with that, she hooked her arm with Thalia's and strode out of the greenhouse, a victorious smile plastered on her face.


	21. Chapter 21

Lily sighed and blew the loose red lock of hair that had fallen into her face out of the way. She was, to put it simply, bored. Unsurprisingly, the History of Magic professor was nowhere to be found and complete and utter chaos was breaking out around her in the classroom. Being a Prefect, she should have been attempting to keep everything under control, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw Remus calming everyone down. She figured he would be fine on his own.

James grinned as he took in the sight of her. Lazily slumped over the desk and twirling a piece of hair that had come loose from her intricate braid. He noticed that no one was around her, as her two best friends Thalia and Alice were not in this class. He saw this as the perfect opportunity for yet another date proposal.

Sirius rolled his eyes when he noticed his best friend approaching the bored looking redhead. _Not again,_ he said to himself.

"_Hey, _Lily," James said, leaning against the edge of her desk. He crossed his arms and smirked. The picture of ease.

"Potter," she greeted him casually. She really didn't have the interest or effort to argue with him.

"Sooo," James said. He bit his lip, trying to think of something to say. "You come here often?" he finished lamely.

Lily raised an eyebrow. _Seriously?_ She pursed her lips to keep herself from laughing.

"Nah, Potter, I just gallop through the forest during the day visiting my little leprechaun friends when I could be in class," she said in a flat tone.

At that moment, a message appeared on the board telling the students that their teacher was not available and that they could leave to enjoy a free period. Lily quickly read it and grabbed her bag.

"Not your best one, James," she said, patting him on the shoulder as she passed him. "But keep trying."

With that she left the room.

She didn't hear James mumble, "Oh I intend to."


	22. Chapter 22

The students of Hogwarts were starting to become bored with the normal routine that they had everyday. They complained that nothing new or exciting happened, not counting the random bits of drama that circulated the student body. They wanted a new tradition.

The Gryffindors took it upon themselves to create one. Some of the sixth years, including the Marauders and Lily, Thalia and Alice, decided to have a sort of bonfire-type event. They planned to have it by the Lake. Students would sit around a grand fire, telling stories and holding candles to light the way to and from the location.

Of course, some were just being dumb about it.

Sirius and James were sitting in the common room, waiting for their friends to finish getting ready so they could make their way down to the lake. The two held candles, which they had already lit. James noticed Lily and her friends sitting at the other side of the common room, holding their own candles, which they had not set fire to yet.

"Hey Evans," James called as he walked towards her. Lily rolled her eyes, causing her two friends to giggle.

"What now, Potter?" she asked, turning to face him. As usual, he had a smirk upon his face and a mischievous expression on his face.

"Evans, you better direct that beauty somewhere else, you'll set the carpet on fire," he said, flashing a charming smile.

Lily glanced down and noticed that sometime during the two minutes it took James to walk from one end of the common room to the other, he had dropped his already lit candle onto the carpet. It was now slowly eating up the fabric, burning it.

"James! The carpet's on fire!" she yelled, searching for her wand.

"Of course it is Evans, you're just that beautiful!" he said, not noticing the spreading flame.

"No James, it's your fault!" she yelled.

"Ah, so it seems that you're starting to notice that we're perfect for each other, I see," he said, casually leaning against the back of a couch.

"James Potter!" she screeched. "You dropped your bloody candle and it's lighting the carpet on fire! You wanker!"

It was then that he noticed the candle was missing from his hand.

"Crap, she's right," he mumbled. He quickly grabbed his wand and extinguished the fire by sending a jet of water to put it out.

"Geez, Lily, you really need to contain your dangerous beauty," he said, winking.

Lily smacked her palm against her forehead and left the common room, leaving James standing in front of her two best friends, who were shaking their heads in shame and pity for the raven haired boy.


	23. Chapter 23

The sound of something hitting glass brought Lily from out of her daydream and into reality. She was sitting in the Divination tower, at the time during which she should be having her Divination class, but she wasn't learning Divination. Instead, the students were having an art class. Yes, an _art _class.

Professor Astronica claimed that "If one refused to allow his or her creative side to be free, the art of Divination would never come to them."

Hence, the art class.

Lily loved the idea, actually. She wasn't a big fan of the strange, mystic class and would jump at the chance to do something different during the block. She also happened to thoroughly enjoy art and painting.

Lily, Thalia and Alice were quite talented artists. Thalia decided to paint a picture of a meadow, as she loved nature and being outside. Alice was painting a very detailed picture of the Hogwarts library, since she was just there before the class started and loved the old, homey feel of it.

Lily was painting a copy of a picture of her, Thalia and Alice at the beach. They had gone last summer, and it was one of Lily's favorite memories.

The redhead was just putting finishing touches on the piece when she noticed a shadow pass over her desk and stay there. She slowly looked up to find none other than James Potter standing before her with a smirk on his face.

"How can I help you, James?" Lily asked dryly, not in the mood to argue with him. She just wanted to finish her drawing.

"By going out with me," he replied smoothly, not skipping a beat. The smirk on his face changed into a genuine smile when he looked down at Lily's painting.

"That's a beautiful drawing Lily, I didn't know you were such a great artist," he said in awe. It had taken his breath away. The people in the painting looked almost _lifelike_. He half expected them to wave or move like they would in a wizard photo.

Lily smiled. "Thanks, James. That's nice of you to say. And I'm actually surprised you didn't turn that into a bad pickup line."

Her smile vanished when she saw the mischievous glint appear in his eyes. _Uh oh, _she thought to herself, _I just _had _to jinx it, didn't I?_

"Lily, if a thousand painters worked for a thousand years, they could not create a work of art as beautiful as you," James said cheekily.

Lily sighed. "And if a thousand Lily Evans's rejected you for a thousand years, you still wouldn't stop trying to win me over, right?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"A _thousand _of you? That would be a dream come true!"

She definitely didn't expect _that_ answer.


	24. Chapter 24

One word could describe the weather at Hogwarts that day: _hot_.

It was nearing June, and the heat was affecting everyone. Students could be seen swimming in the lake, sitting underneath trees, and wearing different clothes. For example, Lily Evans and James Potter.

Lily was dressed in denim shorts and a white tank top. She had tied her long red hair out of her face and into a high ponytail, also using a green bandana to act as a headband. Her feet were clad in worn out slip-on sneakers.

James was wearing navy swim trunks and a white t-shirt made out of light, thin fabric. As usual, his jet black hair was unruly and wild. On his feet were black sandals. He looked ready to jump into the lake for a nice swim.

Thalia and Alice were dressed similarly to Lily, and Sirius and Remus were dressed bearing a close resemblance to James. Everyone was adjusting to the nice, warm weather.

The girls were sitting on the edge of the lake, dipping their feet into the pleasantly cool water. From a few feet away, James stood waiting for the right time to make his move.

James rubbed his hands together and let out a deep breath before walking over to where Lily sat. Lily stopped talking when she noticed a shadow replace the soothing sunshine she had been basking in. She looked up to find James standing there with a signature smirk on his face.

"Potter," she greeted coolly. It was a nice day and she wasn't going to let James Potter ruin it for her.

"Darling Lily," he replied, mimicking her tone.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"I just wanted to know if you had tickets," he said smoothly.

"Tickets to what?" she asked suspiciously, crossing her arms.

In one fluid motion, James pulled up the sleeves of his shirt and began flexing his bicep.

"The gun show!" he stated, pointing to his arm and grinning.

Thalia and Alice giggled at the scene. Lily smirked and chuckled.

"More like the twig convention," she retorted. She got up to leave, Alice and Thalia following suit. She passed James, and pat him on the back.

"Keep working on those, James."

She would never admit it to his face, but James Potter had _very _nice arms.


	25. Chapter 25

The silence was driving James crazy. He couldn't stand the library. The sounds of turning pages, pencils and quills scratching against paper, and wooden chairs moving on the hard stone floor simply irritated him. There was only one reason why he was spending his free period in the library.

None other than Lily Evans.

She was sitting a few tables away from where he was situated. She was busy doing her homework. From the looks of it, she had quite a lot to do, as shown by the fairly large pile of books next to her. James watched as she concentrated on her work. He smiled when he noticed that she bit her lip when she was focused on something.

James decided that it was the perfect time for him to make his move. The library was nearly empty; with the exception of him, Lily, the librarian and two other students. It was very quiet. The sounds of his shoes hitting the floor echoed around the room.

He took a seat in the empty chair at Lily's table. Through her red side bangs, Lily peeked up and sighed softly when she realized it was James Potter who was oh so generously gracing her with his presence.

She crossed her fingers and hoped that if she didn't acknowledge his presence, he would get bored and walk away.

To no such luck.

"Lily?"

Silence.

"Evans?"

Silence.

"So.. what homework are you doing?"

Silence.

"You're not going to talk to me, are you?"

More silence.

"I can tell by the way you're ignoring me that you want me.."

Lily's head snapped up and she fixed her glare on the raven haired boy who was now walking away from her. She just shook her head and went back to work.

James smirked as he exited the library.

"Well, she never denied it," he said smugly.


	26. Chapter 26

James sighed. For their Muggles Studies assignment, each student had to research one aspect of muggle life and do a report on it. After picking a small piece of paper out of a hat, James was told to research muggle religions.

He sat in an armchair by the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room. Numerous books sat on the coffee table in front of him, all waiting to be read. But of course, James wasn't focusing on his homework assignment.

Instead, he was staring at none other than Lily Evans who was sitting at the other end of the common room, immersed in her own project. The way she bit her lip when she focused on a task captivated him.

He stood and walked towards her. Lily looked up when she noticed the presence of someone standing in front of her.

"Potter?" she asked, wondering why he was here. Surprisingly, the day had been Potter-and-pickup-line free.

Until now.

"Are you religious? You're the answer to my prayers," he said with a cheeky grin.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Are you a gigantic man-eating snake? You're my worst nightmare."

James smirked. "You don't have to fear me, Lily darling. And you don't have to be scared of your feelings for me either," he told her, the second comment being said more tenderly than the first.

Before Lily could get a word in, James was already walking up the stairs to the boys' dormitories. Lily sighed.

_Is he right?_


	27. Chapter 27

Lily sighed. It was another one of _those _nights. The nights when you are up to your neck in homework and you have no choice but to pull an all-nighter in order to finish. Yeah, _those_ nights.

Frustrated, she ran a hand through her long red hair. It was close to 1:30 in the morning, and she was almost done with all of her work. But she had one more subject to finish. Transfiguration.

To say Transfiguration wasn't Lily's favorite subject was putting it lightly. She _loathed_ it. Unlike every other subject, she just found it absolutely impossible. Everything else seemed to just come to her. But _no_, not this "bloody difficult subject".

She wasn't the only student still in the common room doing homework. The Marauders were sitting at the opposite end of the room, lounging in armchairs, finishing their work. James grinned as he put the finishing touches on his Transfiguration essay – the same assignment that Lily was having such a hard time completing.

"Ah, done!" James said happily, throwing his quill down onto the coffee table and rolling his piece of parchment up. His friends grumbled in response.

"Need help, any of you?" he asked cheekily. They simply glared at him.

"Go find someone else to annoy," Remus muttered, obviously frustrated at the amount of work he still had left.

James chuckled and looked around the room. He smirked when his eyes landed on none other than Lily Evans, sitting at a desk.

He walked over to where she sat and leaned casually against the desk. Lily looked up tiredly and sighed.

"James, what do you want?" she said, not much emotion in her voice.

James' eyes widened. She had called him James. His eyes quickly scanned her face. She had light bags under her almond-shaped bright emerald eyes. Her long red hair was pulled up into a messy bun with tendrils hanging out, framing her pale face. She was obviously exhausted.

"Lily? Why don't you go to sleep? You seem very tired," James said, concerned.

She chuckled bitterly. "I would, if I didn't have this bloody Transfiguration essay to finish," she mumbled, glaring at the piece of parchment before her.

James glanced at it. "How about I help you with that? I just want you to get some rest," he said tenderly, securing a loose lock of hair behind her ear.

Lily was too tired to even react to the caring motion. She just nodded and smiled at him.

Within twenty minutes, James had helped Lily complete her essay and he had also read over it for her, checking for any mistakes (not that he found any) that she may have made.

"Well, this is brilliant! You're all set!" he said, placing the essay down before her.

Lily smiled at him. "Thanks James, I really appreciate it."

James smiled as a reply.

She quickly packed up all her belongings and stuffed them into her bag. She yawned a total of six times while doing so.

"Lily, you really need some rest," James said.

"Yeah, yeah, I will," Lily teased.

She started walking toward the stone staircase leading to the girls' dormitories. Watching her walk away, James' eyes started twinkling mischievously.

"Going to bed, right Lily?" he called out, smirking.

She turned around and nodded, looking slightly confused.

James' smirk grew. "Mind if I Slytherin?" he asked cheekily.

Then the unexpected happened.

Lily _giggled_.

"In your dreams, Potter," she said, smiling. Then she walked up the stairs.


	28. Chapter 28

James grinned as he ran a hand through his damp, messy jet black locks. He had just walked into the common room after a long Quidditch practice. Much to the relief of most of the other players, the practice had been cut short due to the storm which was starting. James happened to be one of the few who wished practice could have lasted longer.

With his best friend, Sirius, at his side, the two walked over to where Remus Lupin was sitting in front of the fire. He glanced up when he sensed their presence and was surprised to see them.

"Practice was cut short?" he asked, closing the book he was reading.

Sirius chuckled. "Yeah, Prongs had to end it because everyone else was complaining about how they were going to die out in the storm. He didn't want to have their deaths on his conscience," Sirius teased, nudging James in the side with his elbow.

James rolled his eyes and shoved Sirius playfully. Remus laughed.

"Oh yeah, because if James _was _responsible for those people's deaths, Lily would never agree to go out with him," Remus said, as if that were the obvious explanation.

James frowned and glared at his friends. "Gee thanks, I definitely know now that you two believe that I all I care about is finally winning Lily over," he grumbled.

"James, mate," Sirius said, placing a hand on James' shoulder in a serious manner, "We _know_ it is."

James huffed and walked away from the two, who were watching James with amused smiles on their faces.

James didn't even realize where he was walking to until he heard a voice in front of him.

"Potter?"

James flushed as he slowly brought his eyes up to look at the redhead standing before him. Lily Evans.

"Why, _hello_, Evans," James said, smirking.

"Oh, stop now before you say something to embarrass yourself," Lily said, rolling her bright green eyes.

She frowned and mentally smacked herself. She had just given James Potter an idea. This can't end well.

James leaned against the nearest object, a desk, and flashed her a winning smile. "You know, like my Quidditch captain said, I'm a keeper," James said cheekily, his eyes twinkling.

Lily laughed. _Huh, pretty good,_ she thought to herself, _original, I'll give him that._ "First off, Potter, _you_ are the Gryffindor Quidditch captain," she said.

James' cheeks tinged red and he ran a hand through his hair.

"And second, you're a Chaser, so I guess you'll just have to keep chasing after my heart," Lily said, smiling. Then she walked away.

James gaped at her, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. Then he smiled.

_Challenge accepted._


	29. Chapter 29

One sunny, bright morning, five particular Gryffindors could be found strolling down the Charms corridor. Two were beautiful young ladies, while the other three were handsome mischievous gentlemen.

The two girls were laughing and chatting freely, happy with just spending time together. Until a certain raven haired boy decided to approach them.

"Lovely morning, Lily," he said, flashing the redhead a charming smile.

She rolled her eyes. "It was, until you showed up, Potter," she snapped.

James smirked. "Naw, I know you don't mean that, Evans," he said, lightly nudging her in the side.

She quickly stepped away and threw him an irritated glare. "What do you want now, Potter?"

"I just wanted to ask you a question," he said innocently. "Is that such a crime?"

She sighed. "I guess not," she admitted reluctantly. "What did you need to ask me?"

The two other boys, who were standing next to the redhead's best friend, exchanged amused glances, causing her to look at them questioningly. Remus and Sirius already knew what James was planning to say, and it amused them to no end. Thalia could tell a pickup line was about to be delivered, but she was clueless as to what it was actually going to be.

"Did you have Lucky Charms for breakfast this morning?" James asked casually.

Lily quirked an eyebrow and looked at him curiously. "No," she answered hesitantly. "Why?"

James smirked. "Because you look magically delicious."

Lily and Thalia groaned. _Not another, _Thalia said internally, _not another pickup line._

Lily was suddenly very annoyed. Everything about James annoyed her to no end. At that moment, particularly James' always messy hair. She glared at it.

"Potter, did you have a passionate snog session? Because you look flushed and unruly," she said irritably, still glaring at the messy locks resting on his head.

James sighed. It annoyed him as well that his hair just _never_ wanted to cooperate with him.

Sirius snickered. "Oh right, he _did_, Evans. With his pillow. Up in the dorm. I had to leave once he started moaning your name," he said in a teasing tone.

James was left sputtering and blushing madly in the middle of the hallway while the others walked away, a certain redhead flushing a deep red.


	30. Chapter 30

James Potter couldn't take his eyes off her. Even though the OWL exams were approaching and he should have been paying attention to the lesson, he just couldn't stop staring at her. She was just so beautiful.

Lily squirmed uncomfortably. The entire History of Magic lesson, she felt as if she was being very closely watched. It was slightly unnerving, yet at the same time, it made her feel safe. It was a very conflicting feeling.

It was almost the end of the hour, meaning the lesson was close to over. Then James would have to pry his eyes away from the redhead. The thought made the raven haired boy slightly upset.

The feeling of sadness brought to mind all the past rejections he had received courtesy of Lily Evans. Each was even more painful than the last, but yet, he couldn't get over her. He couldn't. He wouldn't.

Still being lost in thought, James didn't realize the lesson was over and he was alone in the classroom with Lily, who was gathering her supplies together. Lily looked around the room and spotted James sitting an aisle over and two tables back, gazing at her.

She slowly made her way towards him. Her steps were small and careful, hesitant. Almost as if she was scared any sudden movements would scare him.

"James?" she asked quietly, still slowly moving towards him. He didn't respond. He hadn't heard her.

"Potter?" she asked again. Still nothing.

"James?" a little louder now.

"James Potter?" nothing.

"James Daniel Potter!"

That got him.

"Wh-what?" he asked, looking around the room. His eyes landed on the beautiful redhead in front of him. Once again, her beauty stunned him into silence. He just couldn't look away.

A thought occurred to him. _How did she know my middle name?_ He asked himself. He suddenly grinned. _Maybe she knows more about me than I thought._

He was going to say something to her, but every time he tried, her delicate features and bright aura would just cause the words to disappear.

"James!" she yelled, snapping her fingers right in front of his face. He blinked a couple times and shook his head quickly.

"What is it?" she asked irritably, placing her hands on her hips. The staring was making her uncomfortable.

"It's just," James begin in a dazed voice. "You're so beautiful you made me forget my pickup line."

His comment made her freeze. She started to relax from her stiff position, letting her fists slide down from her hips to rest gently at her sides. Her harsh glare morphed into a gentle smile.

"Well," Lily said, blushing a dark red.

She cleared her throat, trying to compose herself.

"Thank you," she said in a formal tone. She began to walk towards the door.

James eyes followed her as she walked away.

"Thank you, _James_," she whispered as she exited the classroom.

James swore his name had never sounded so _melodic_.


	31. Chapter 31

Even after a day full of pranks, James Potter wasn't quite finished causing chaos within the Hogwarts halls. It was April 1st – April Fool's Day. Also known as one of James' favorite times of the year. It was the one time where he could pull a prank and no fingers could be pointed at him. Why? Because half of the school was also wreaking havoc.

He, along with the other Maruaders, had been having a great time pranking random students. Particularly Slytherins, but the Marauders wouldn't be the Marauders if they didn't do that. The entire day, the amused twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes never left, as well as the painful scowl etched on Professor McGonagall's face. She was one of the few who found the endless pranks nothing short of irritating.

Lily Evans was one other person who felt the same way. It was already close to 8:30 at night, and she felt that they _still _weren't done pranking. It was just like the Marauders to use the full 24 hours that they were given.

She stood leaning against one of the stone walls in the Gryffindor common room, carefully observing everyone within it. As Prefect, it was her duty to make sure nothing got out of hand. And knowing the Marauders, particularly James and Sirius, something big was going to happen soon.

As she stood there, she felt a breeze against her, as if someone had just rushed by her. But when she looked again, there was no one remotely close to her. She felt it again. And just like the first time, when she checked, everyone in the common room was far away and seated.

To put it lightly, Lily was slightly scared. If this was a prank, she was worried to find out how it would end. And if it wasn't a prank.. she was still scared.

"Who's there?" Lily asked nervously, her eyes still shooting around the room.

"I'm invisible," a male voice said. She narrowed her eyes. She didn't recognize the voice, but it was abnormally deep, meaning it wasn't his actual voice.

"I guess so, now reveal yourself," she commanded, still looking around her.

She heard a manly chuckle and before her eyes stood none other than James Potter, wearing his signature smirk. She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms irritably.

"What is this all about _now_, Potter?" she grumbled.

"Can you see me?" James asked innocently, folding a piece of fabric and placing it into his pocket. Lily was suddenly curious, the fabric was silvery and looked almost like water. An invisibility cloak?

"Yes, Potter, I can see you," Lily said, pronouncing every word clearly as if she was talking to a young child.

"Wonderful, how about tomorrow night?" James smirked, crossing his arms and leaning casually against the wall next to her.

Lily hesitated for a moment, stunned and unsure of how to respond to James' question. She opened her mouth to respond but was unable to as the sound of something bursting cut her off.

Just then at that very moment, a book that a third year had been reading exploded, leaving him with no eyebrows and slightly smoking hair. Although unharmed besides the lack of facial hair, the boy looked stunned and just froze, his eyes wide and mouth gaping open. Everyone in the room stared at him in shock. Lily quickly turned to look at the scene, while James, who had his back to the boy, simply grinned wider, not sparing a glance at the boy.

Another prank by the infamous James Potter.

Lily bit her lip to keep her from yelling something profane. Instead, she decided to answer James' question. But not the way he was expecting.

"No, Potter. _I_ will _not _see you tomorrow night. But instead, you'll be seeing another woman," Lily replied smoothly.

James was confused. He furrowed his eyebrows and cocked his head to the side. _What in the name of Merlin is she talking about?_

"Detention. McGonagall will be delighted to see you and put you to the task of cleaning the trophy room," Lily finished, handing James a slip of paper before walking away to check on the boy who was still frozen in place.

"Good night, James," she said as she walked away. She didn't turn to look back at him.

As he watched Lily tend to the singed boy, he couldn't help but smile stupidly.

She called him _James_.

A part of him felt, that if he hadn't had the book explode at that very second, she might have said yes. Although he was slightly upset with himself for that reason, he knew that he was heading on the right path to finally winning over _the_ Lily Evans.


	32. Chapter 32

As Lily sat in the Gryffindor common room, making some last minute changes to a Potions assignment, her mind drifted off to an old memory from her first year at Hogwarts. She surprisingly remembered it very clearly. It was the middle of September, they had only been in school for about two weeks...

* * *

"_Thalia, what did your brother tell you about Hogwarts before you left?" Lily asked her new friend, Thalia Jones. The two were sitting in the Gryffindor common room, already overwhelmed at the amount of homework they had to complete._

"_Well he definitely didn't mention first years doing this much work, I swear this should be illegal," Thalia grumbled, glaring at the piece of parchment spread out in front of her._

_The two girls shared a look and collapsed in a fit of giggles. From across the room, a group of first year boys studied the two girls._

"_That's the girl I'm going to marry," young James Potter said to his new friend, Sirius Black._

_Sirius laughed and playfully pushed his fellow first year. "C'mon, mate, you can't know that. You have barely said ten words to her so far!"_

_James wasn't listening though, he was still carefully observing the petite redhead. "She's so pretty," James whispered in awe._

_Sirius rolled his eyes. "Well if you fancy her so much, why don't you go talk to her!"_

_As if in a trance, James got up and walked over to where the two girls were recovering from their giggling fit. Lily looked curiously up at him._

"_Yes, can we help you?" she asked politely. Thalia giggled and nudged her._

"_He likes you!" she whispered in Lily's ear. Lily just shushed her and turned her attention back to James, who was still standing before them._

"_Erm, can I borrow a piece of parchment?" he asked shyly, rubbing the back of his neck nervously._

"_Sure," Lily replied, moving to fish a piece out of her bag. "What for?"_

"_I want to send a letter to my mum and tell her I've just met the woman of my dreams," James replied, taking the parchment from a suddenly shocked Lily._

_He realized what he just said, and began to run away. But before he was halfway across the room, he paused and called back to Lily._

"_Thanks for the parchment, my fair maiden!"_

_For the next ten minutes, Lily stood there frozen while Thalia attempted to control her laughter._

* * *

Lily giggled at the memory. It was her first memory of James displaying his "love" for her. Although it took place years ago, the memory was as clear as the day it happened. For some reason, it was held dear to her heart. Every once in a while, the memory would reappear, and it would bring a smile to her face.

As she sat there thinking, she didn't notice that she was no longer alone in the common room. Standing in the same place he did years ago in the very memory Lily was reliving, James Potter observed the beautiful redhead. He smiled when he realized she was deep in thought and still oblivious to his presence.

After about two minutes of silently observing, James figured Lily was not going to come out of her daze on her own. Smirking, he cleared his throat loudly, causing her to jump and search for the source of the noise.

Her eyes landed on the tall boy. "Potter? How long have you been standing there?" she asked, placing her hand over her heart, trying to slow its frantic beating. She was always easily scared.

"Oh, not too long. But that doesn't matter," James said. He moved so he was only a couple steps away from Lily.

"I wanted to return something that's long overdue," James said. He fished a piece of folded up parchment out of his pocket.

Without another word, he handed the parchment over to Lily and walked away. Confused, Lily slowly unfolded the paper and read the words scribbled onto it.

She gasped when she finally comprehended the message.

_Lily,_

_Thanks for the parchment I borrowed in first year. Mum enjoyed the letter. She can't wait to finally meet the woman of my dreams._

_J_

_P.S. You look beautiful today_

The smile never faded from her face that day.


	33. Chapter 33

Lily shivered. The cold, crisp late November wind was whipping past her face, nipping at her skin. Even though she knew it was much warmer inside the Hogwarts castle, she refused to leave her spot by the lake. She had promised herself earlier that she would stay outside that night. And she believed she had a good reason.

* * *

When Lily was younger, she was very close to her cousin, Emma. The two were only weeks apart in age, and were inseparable. They became even closer when Lily discovered her magical abilities, because unlike Petunia, Emma found Lily's unique powers captivating. She had no envy and hate towards her cousin, rather, she was entranced by this new found side of her. The summer before Lily's first year of Hogwarts, the two spent every day together.

Although Lily had to leave for Scotland at the end of every summer, the two remained very close and sent letters to each other weekly, at the very least. Nothing was kept from the other. They discussed everything – boy drama, classmate troubles, homework frustrations, monthly emotional roller coasters. Until the end of fifth year.

Lily had been home from school for a total of two days when she told herself she needed to see Emma. She needed her now more than ever.

Just a few weeks ago, her so called best friend Severus Snape called her a mudblood, something she swore would never happen. She thought they were good enough friends to survive the muggleborn-ridiculement and house rivalry. But she knew now that that was too much to wish for.

Lily called Emma around 6 that evening and asked her to come over to talk. Emma told her she would be there by 7. When Lily realized that it was 7:30, she began to worry. Emma only lived a couple blocks down the street, why wasn't she here by now? And if she knew she was going to be late, why didn't she call?

Lily was just about to call Emma to see what was keeping her, when a knock on the door stopped her from pressing the last button. Lily answered the door only to find a man wearing a police uniform standing on her front step.

"C-Can I help you, sir?" Lily asked hesitantly.

"Is Andrew Evans here, young lady?" the man asked.

"No, I'm sorry but he's out at the moment. I'm his daughter, Lily Evans. Is there a problem, sir?"

"I'm sorry, Ms. Evans, but I come with bad news."

Lily's heart was pounding in her chest. "W-What news?"

"At 7 PM today, your relative, Emmeline Katherine Calter, was found murdered in an alley behind Elisa's Cafe. When we spoke to her parents, they told us she was on the way here to see you. I'm sorry Ms. Evans."

With that, the police officer gripped her shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze - his form of affection for a stranger. And then he was gone, only leaving Lily empty and lost.

_Emmy was gone. My Emma was dead._

* * *

"I'm so sorry, Emma. I'm so sorry. Emmy, I wish it had been me," Lily sobbed into her scarf, burying her face in the thick fabric.

Every year on this night, November 28, Lily would sit outside and beat herself up for Emma's death. Although Emma died early during the summer, Lily choose this night, Emma's birthday, to do this. To grieve. The thought of Emma never getting any older on this day reminded her that it was her fault. At least, that's what she thought.

Lily looked up at the dark night sky. It was only about 7 in the evening, but it looked much later. The storm clouds masked the stars, leaving her alone in the darkness.

"Why her? She did nothing wrong! It should have been me!" She wailed, directing her anger at whatever presence she knew existed.

"It should have been me. Emma didn't deserve to go this way, no, not this early.."

"Lily?"

Lily almost fell over in fright. She turned to the voice behind her to find James Potter staring at her. His hands were slightly outstretched, almost as if he was about to touch her. His eyes were soft with concern.

"What's wrong?" he whispered, looking almost in pain. "Lily, you're breaking my heart looking like that."

Lily sniffed and hastily wiped at her eyes. "I-I'm f-fine, James. Go back inside."

"No, Lily. You're upset and cold. Let me help."

Without any hesitation, James whipped off his thick jacket and placed it gently around Lily, enveloping her in a wave of warmth and the scent of cinnamon. He plopped down on the ground next to her and stared out across the lake.

"Now, tell me what's on your mind."

Surprisingly, Lily did. She explained everything. From how close she was to Emma, to how she asked her to come over that night, to her encounter with the police officer.

"It's all my fault, James. Emma would still be alive if I had never told her to come to my house. What was I thinking? It was nighttime! I was so stupid and selfish! How could I ask her to come to my house in the evening! James, it's all my fault!" Lily cried.

"It's all my fault.."

"No, Lily it's not," James told her, no room for argument in his voice.

"Emma was always there for you, as you were for her. She knew you inside and out, and she loved you with every fiber of her being. You asking her to come over to talk was not a selfish act – you truly needed someone. Emma loved you so much that she _wanted_ to comfort you. Her death is not your fault and you can't blame yourself for it. Although I don't know Emma, I know she would not want you acting like this. She would want you living your life, even if not for yourself, but for her. She would want you to make the most of what someone took away from her. Emma would want you, to be you."

Lily smiled slightly. "Thank you, James."

"Will you try to move past this?"

Lily looked up at the sky. The stars were beginning to peek through the clouds. "Yes, I think I will. Emma was such a lovely girl, she deserves to be happy wherever she is. And I will live my life for her."

"That's the Lily I know," James smiled tenderly.

"Thank you, James, really. For everything. For talking to me, to giving up your jacket. Which is unbelievably warm, by the way," Lily mused, studying the thick fabric.

"Do you know what it's made of?" James asked.

"No, what?"

James grabbed the end of the too-long sleeves and showed it to her. "Feel this. You know what it is? Boyfriend material."

James grinned when he saw her emerald eyes light up and heard her tinkling laugh. She playfully shoved him, still laughing.

She really was healing.


	34. Chapter 34

James grinned as he leaned against the wall next to the doorway of the Charms classroom. He had another phase of "Operation Get Evans To Snog One Marauder Enthusiastically aka Operation GET SOME" (Sirius had fun creating that name one day while bored in the common room).

After scarfing down his breakfast, he had left the Great Hall early to ensure he would be able to execute his plan. He knew it probably wouldn't work like he'd hoped, but he was sure it would earn himself some kind of reaction out of his beloved Lily Evans.

Since James could barely take his eyes off the fiery redhead, he knew her schedule, habits and tendencies. In the morning, she would walk down the stairs from her dormitory arm-in-arm with her best friend Thalia Jones. The two would sit down at their usual spots in the middle of the long Gryffindor table, and help themselves to the food (for Lily, usually a muffin and a bowl of oatmeal). Then, at about 8:30, they would gather their belongings and make their way towards the first class of the day - Charms.

James checked his wristwatch. The time was 8:38. The girls would be arriving soon. It was time to put his plan into action.

Soon enough, Lily and Thalia's voices could be heard approaching him. When they saw James waiting next to the door, the two had very different reactions. Thalia, who found James' antics both charming and amusing, giggled and pushed her best friend in his direction before walking into the classroom. Lily, on the other hand, grimaced when she realized James was probably there to use yet another cheesy pickup line on her. Merlin knows how right she was.

"Evans, you're on time for class!" James proclaimed jovially.

Lily rolled her eyes amusedly. "Honestly James, when am I not? I think you of all people would know that by now."

"Well you're also on time for another thing." James made a show of checking the time on his watch. "Our longterm relationship begins… now."

Lily was about to retort when she suddenly spotted Professor McGonagall at the far end of the hallway. She quickly ducked into the Charms classroom, leaving James standing in the hallway, still looking at his watch.

"Mr. Potter! What are you doing idling in the corridors? Classes have already begun!"

James looked up at the sound of her harsh tone and realized he was now alone in the hallway. He snuck a peek into the Charms classroom and spotted Lily already sitting at her usual seat next to her best friend. At that moment, Lily looked back and him and gave him a look of, what was that? She looked almost.. sorry that she left him there.

"Potter, detention. Tonight, you will be cleaning the trophy room with Mr. Filch."

James sighed, but nonetheless, nodded and trudged into the classroom. Sirius snickered a bit and clapped his friend on the back. "Nice work there, mate."

James rolled his eyes and pulled out a piece of parchment to begin copying down the notes on the board. He wasn't upset about the detention, because in his eyes, it was worth it.

Lily Evans had called him "James."

A small smile could be seen on his face for the rest of the day.


	35. Chapter 35

"Class, today we will be working on the Patronus charm. Call to mind a strong memory, feeling, fantasy, anything. Something that will evoke a very strong, positive emotion," the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Padlumo, instructed.

Lily searched her brain for the perfect memory. She gazed around the room and spotted a couple students already producing wisps of silver, and even a few students well on their way to conjuring a corporeal patronus.

Across the classroom, a certain messy-haired boy was working on the charm with a smile on his face. Little did Lily know that James was actually thinking of her. Not a minute later, a large majestic stag appeared next to James, and then proceeded to prance about the room.

Unconsciously, a smile crept onto Lily's face. Watching James brought a certain memory to mind...

* * *

"_Hey, Lily, what did you get for question #24? I'm completely clueless," Thalia, then only eleven years old, asked her new friend._

_Lily, who at that time was shyer, but every bit as fiery, replied, "Wolfsbane potion," without a second of hesitation._

"_How on earth are you so good at this?" Thalia grumbled. _

_The two girls were working on their Potions homework. Unlike Lily, Potions was probably Thalia's worst subject. Everything about it just came effortlessly to Lily._

_Across the room, a young James Potter could be seen shamelessly staring at the petite redhead. Even at the age of eleven, Lily was a unique beauty. From the moment James first laid his eyes on her, he was entranced._

_Mustering up all of the Gryffindor courage stored in his skinny body, he walked over to the girls looking more confident than he felt. He hadn't yet said a word to Lily, and he was terrified, but he couldn't wait any longer._

_When Lily noticed James standing before her, she gave him a small smile and said, "Hi, can we help you with something?"_

_Before he realized what he was saying, the words spilled out of James' mouth._

"_When I'm older, I'm going to look back on all of the most important memories with the love of my life: the day of our first child's birth, our wedding day, and the day I met you."_

_The second the last word escaped from his lips, James panicked. He hadn't meant to say _that_!_

_He could only do one thing. _

_Run._

* * *

One part of that memory particularly stuck in Lily's mind. _...the love of my life_. Was she really the love of his life?

Lily didn't notice it, but Thalia, who was next to her, noticed a small smile lift the corner of her mouth.

"Expecto patronum!" Lily waved her wand, and in a moment, a beautiful doe appeared next to her. James' stag immediately paid all of its attention to the doe, and left James' side to stand next to it. As if in a trance, James slowly followed his stag.

Lily watched, both in awe and confusion, as the two animals nuzzled each other affectionately. All of the other students abandoned their charms to watch. Even Professor Padlumo was entranced by the display.

James and Lily looked up and made eye contact.

Lily's heart gave a sudden jolt.

_Uh oh_, Lily thought to herself.


End file.
